Beyond the Limits
by Namazukage
Summary: I wanted to do a story with Martha.  Here, she and the Doctor avert a kidnapping attempt on another planet and stumble upon a bigger plot.
1. Flight Theories

Note: This takes place after 42.

Chapter 1: Flight Theories

Martha was the first to step out of the TARDIS. As soon as she opened the doors, she could hear water and an off-key chorus of what sounded like woodwinds. She knew the Doctor meant for the pair to see the waterfall, so Martha went ahead with the Doctor trailing along. Soon, she saw a waterfall with a straight line crest measuring what she'd guess to be nearly 100 meters in length.

"Is that music coming from the waterfall?" Martha asked when the Doctor caught up with her.

"Yeah. Behind the waterfall are burrows with double entrances. The wind from the falling water produces the sounds that vary based on how much water happens to be in those burrows."

"I once listened to a fellow medical student named Deven Beerison try to play the recorder. This waterfall reminds me of that. It's a wretched sound, but all the same, this one's amazing at the same time."

After another minute of admiring the scenery and its odd sounds, Martha noticed a body floating in the water. She directed the Doctor's attention to it and they pulled it out. A quick scan from the sonic screwdriver confirmed death. Martha thought that the deceased resembled a normal human being. Another visitor passed by and realized what was going on, so he summoned the authorities. This passerby also looked like a normal human being except that he had wings in place of arms protruding from his sides. Soon after, regional security, represented by four individuals, arrived.

The Doctor approached a man who looked like he was in charge. "Hello, I'm the Doctor. This is Martha. She's the one who noticed the body."

"I am Ruven,"the man replied. He also had wings instead of arms. "Thank you for removing him from the water." Ruven looked closely at the corpse, taking a close look at his eyes and running a small scanner through the body. "He is a Glet."

"Really?" the Doctor asked. "It takes a lot to kill a Glet, yet this man looks fine."

"You are familiar with Glet physiology, Doctor?" Ruven asked.

"Just a little bit."

"This is the fourth Glet we've seen dead in such a short amount of time, but we don't know what's happening. The Glet population on this planet has been growing rapidly and this planet is not yet ready to accommodate them all."

"Perhaps illness?" the Doctor offered. Using his sonic screwdriver, he concluded that the Glet was sick. Indications pointed to a recent history of seizures and irregular blood flow. "Muhban's disease is common among the Glets; less so on this planet, but still . . . "

"We'll take him back so our labs can make a confirmation."

"Well, we'll be off then," the Doctor said as he motioned to Martha. "Good luck with your investigation."

"Doctor," Martha began when they entered the TARDIS. "We haven't been here long. Can we visit another part of the planet?"

"Of course," the Doctor replied as he started to control the TARDIS. He was reluctant to leave as well, even though he knew he couldn't do much to solve the rest of Ruven's case.

A short time later, the Doctor and Martha walked along another scenic view.

"So what planet is this, anyway?" Martha asked as she noticed a figure flying overhead, propelled by his own wings. "And when is this?"

"It's called Chebott. It's a part of the Kian Empire. Teters are the dominant species here, they're the ones with wings instead of arms, but the empire's social structure is introducing many other species to the planet. We're thirty years into your future."

"How big is the Kian Empire?"

"It spans the entire galaxy, so this galaxy is named after it. It used to be bigger, but it cut back. All the planets in the galaxy belong to the Kian Empire except for four planets belonging to two very close allies."

At that moment, the Doctor and Martha heard a cry from the sky. The Teter that Martha saw dropped onto the ground. By the time the Doctor and Martha arrived to help the Teter, they saw a group of three individuals trying to restrain the Teeter and haul him off. The attempted kidnappers were gray with long heads and eyes that reminded the Doctor of the Ood. These three, Larodeens, also had long fingers and flabby necks. Martha noticed knobs on their backs around ten centimeters in length.

"Stop!" the Doctor demanded of the Larodeens.

"Keep away, whoever you are!" one of them cried back as a small ship arrived by remote.

The Larodeens' divided attention allowed the Teter to break free momentarily and kick two Larodeens while hovering before turning to the third in an arm-to-wing fight. Before the other two Larodeens fully recovered, Martha took hold of a gun that a Larodeen dropped and aimed it.

"The Doctor said 'Stop!'" Martha yelled.

"And who are you supposed to be?" one of the Larodeens asked.

"I'm Martha Jones."

The Teter used the opportunity to remove a different gun from a Larodeen and zapped all three into unconsciousness.

"Thank you," the Teter said to Martha and the Doctor. "I am Amlin."

"You can put that gun down now, Martha," the Doctor remarked.

Martha noted the Doctor's tone and facial expression. "You don't have to worry; I wasn't actually going to use it." She turned to Amlin. "We just spoke to an investigator called Ruven for something else. We could try to get him back for you."

"No. The authorities would be far too kind on them and I need answers they won't be able to get."

"Do you know why these three were after you?" Martha asked.

"It's because of your wings, isn't it?" the Doctor guessed.

"Yes," Amlin replied. "Hundreds of millennia ago, the Larodeens had wings, but what were once appendages more beautiful than my own wings are insignificant nubs now. I've heard of stories lately of other Teters being abducted for experimentation so that the Larodeens will have the means to fly again." Amlin kneeled down next to a Larodeen, put his wings on its head, and bowed his own.

"What are you doing?" Martha asked.

"Teters have some telepathic abilities," the Doctor answered for Amlin.

"It takes a while after a stunner blast for the brainwaves to reorganize. After that, I might be able to glean some information that was on these Larodeens' minds if I'm quick enough." Amlin frowned. "This is difficult."

As Amlin concentrated more, Martha looked on in curiosity and the Doctor started to waver. After another minute, the Doctor fell to the ground. While Martha tended to the Doctor but failed to understand the problem, Amlin got his answer and stood up.

"Is your friend telepathic?" Amlin asked.

"I'm pretty sure he is. I haven't had the chance to ask him about it yet, but I think there was some sort of exchange between him and a star."

"A star?"

"Never mind that. What's wrong with the Doctor?"

"You have nothing to worry about. The process I used to extract information produced a lot of backlash and your friend was sensitive to it. It's not an uncommon phenomenon. He'll be all right after a little while." Amlin launched into the air.

"Where are you going?" Martha yelled loudly.

"I'm going to save my brethren!" Amlin yelled back before he was too far away for communication.

Martha turned to the Doctor and saw that he was starting to stir. She knelt down next to him. "Doctor, can you hear me?" Martha suddenly felt something touch the back of her head. She turned to see the three Larodeens pointing their weapons at her.

"You cost us a catch, woman."

Martha put her hands up. "Should we have let you taken him, hmm?"

"Forget about him now. You look like an Oyrosian, yet you don't seem to have the same abilities as one. Perhaps we can take you both instead and sell you to some interested scientists."

The Doctor opened his eyes and slowly pulled out his sonic screwdriver. "Now why would you want to do that when we know how to obtain tenecthyl selomycillium?" he asked as he stood up.

The Larodeens looked confused. "What's that?" one asked.

"Just something I made up." The Doctor pointed his screwdriver at the Larodeens' ship and caused a series of loud and bright sparks inside it. He then took Martha's hand and ran to the TARDIS.

"That will distract them," the Doctor said. "And strand them for a very long time."

"We can just leave them there?"

"They're not going to be able to do anything against Teters for a while and there's something else needing our attention."

"What?" Martha asked as they approached the TARDIS. Martha reflexively smiled as she pulled out her key.

"During Amlin's probing, I found out where the Teters are being held. He's going there now."

"We're going to help him?"

"There are several Larodeens there. Either Amlin didn't pick up on that or he's ignoring it."

"He seems like someone with enough pride for the second, I suppose," Martha remarked.

The Doctor and Martha soon arrived in a cavern.

"This is the Grisselbain Cave. Teters don't come because of the low cover. Not many other species know about it. It's perfect for the Larodeens," the Doctor explained.

The Doctor and Martha crept along the cavern walls and saw a large cage holding five Teters. Another Teter was strapped down on a table with many sensors cut into his wings. The Doctor and Martha hesitated to act after they noticed eleven Larodeens entering the area holding all the Teters. The Doctor pointed his sonic screwdriver at the cage's door and pressed down, allowing the door to open.

Everyone saw the door open, but the Teters in the cage were too fearful to act. Before a Larodeen could close the door, though, Amlin ran in from a different entrance with a group of eight other Teters, all carrying heavy firearms. Seeing them, the Larodeens brought out their own weapons and a firefight began.

"You should help the one on the table," Martha told the Doctor. As the Doctor started to pull the sensors off the bound Teeter and released the restraints, Martha ran to the cage. "What are you waiting for? Move!" she told the five Teters.

The Teters remained in the cage until Martha started to push one out. Another suddenly sprinted out and into another area of the cave. While ducking potential crossfire, the Doctor and the bound Teter joined the group. They opted to take refuge near a section that offered a little bit of cover.

Martha's thoughts turned to the Teter that ran off. "I saw one running towards there, Doctor. I'll go check to see what else is going on." While taking great care among the firefight, Martha ran towards where the other Teter went. When she turned the corner, however, she stopped and gasped. In front of her lay three dead Teters with their wings amputated. The previous Teter kneeled down by one of them, caressing his face.

"I'm so sorry, I can't even imagine what you must be feeling." Martha put her left hand on the Teter's right shoulder.

The firefight finally ended with the last Larodeen shot to death. Three other Teters also died and two were injured, including Amlin. When everything had cleared, the Doctor went to check on Martha. He saw her standing near the corpses in silent vigil. The Doctor approached her and gave her a hug.

The authorities eventually came to take care of the situation. Amlin tried to find the Doctor and Martha, but they had slipped away quietly.

The Doctor and Martha had boarded the TARDIS and traveled to another part of Chebott. At a park, they saw several Teter families being oblivious to the tragedies that transpired and were instead having fun. Seeing that joy raised Martha's spirits and she took the Doctor to walk along a forest. Their walk was stopped by another dead humanoid they found. A stick was protruding from its mouth.

The Doctor bent over to investigate. "It's another Glet," he said. "It has to be self-inflicted. Glets are immensely powerful. They can shoot energy beams out of their eyes and are virtually indestructible – from the outside. I don't think anything on the planet could get close enough to do this."

"Could the other Glet have committed suicide as well?"

The Doctor exhaled. "It's possible that I was wrong." The Doctor took notice of something and leaned in closer.

"What is it?"

"Some psychic residue, but Glets aren't telepathic. This can't be right." The Doctor looked at the Glet's fingers. "It didn't just come from the mind, but from something else, too."

"Doctor, can we stay here and try to find out what happened? I'm glad we saved those Teters and all, but what happened is still alarming."

"You'd like to find out what happened? See if you can help?"

"Yes. That Ruven guy said others had died, too. I'd like to try to do some more good on this planet."

"Let's see what we can do, then."


	2. More Power

Chapter 2: More Power

"They call this the state mortician office," the Doctor explained to Martha. He had used his psychic paper to gain access to the building and the Glet corpses. Soon, he was using his sonic screwdriver to scan the bodies and gather information.

"These Glets weren't murdered," the Doctor said as he approached one in particular. "This is the Glet you found by the waterfall. The same psychic residue is there in the same places, just weaker because of the time that passed. It's barely detectable from the hand."

"If that power isn't just from his mind, is there some sort of hand device that could give a Glet telepathic abilities?" Martha asked as she looked over some paperwork.

"That's precisely what I'm thinking."

"I'm not going to try to understand Glet physiology, but these documents show levels of some proteins that are labeled as unusual. I won't bother trying to pronounce them." Martha handed the papers to the Doctor.

"Glets aren't supposed to have those at all. Come on, let's go back to the TARDIS."

Martha watched as the Doctor entered a room she had never been in before. He sat down and leaned forward into a machine, resting his forehead on a slanted but flat surface. The Doctor had told Martha that this process of detecting the artificial telepathic energy signatures from any Glets using that power could take a while, particularly because he needed to sort those signatures from real Teter telepathic energy signatures. After waiting for what she guessed was thirty minutes, the Doctor bolted up and ran to the TARDIS console. He took charge of the TARDIS as Martha caught up with him.

"I found a Glet using telepathic powers. We're going there now."

The TARDIS landed off the mark, but the Doctor and Martha took only minutes to find the Glet. He was walking away from a merchant after getting a very good deal. The Doctor and Martha followed the Glet until they were isolated. With no other thoughts around, the Glet picked up on Martha's and knew that she and the Doctor were looking for him. The Glet quickly turned around and fired a low-energy blast from his eyes into the air above the Doctor and Martha.

"That was a warning. Who are you two?" the Glet asked, but he calmed down when he felt concern in Martha's mind.

"I'm the Doctor, and this is my friend Martha."

"Your thoughts are hidden from me," the Glet told the Doctor.

"Sorry, there might be a compatibility issue."

"And you yourself have telepathic abilities, do you not?"

"Just a bit. So, what's your name?"

"I am Littinlid." He caught Martha looking at his right hand. "Yes, it's what gives me my powers," he said, referring to two connected bands that kept his index and middle finger together. The bands looked like rings, except they were very thick.

"We saw other Glets that also seemed to have telepathy," Martha responded. "They must have had those, too, but not anymore."

"These are temporary gifts."

"From whom?" the Doctor asked.

"A society of Teters. They wanted us to try it."

"And you just accepted?" the Doctor replied.

"We Glets are at a disadvantage among the Teters. This group was kind enough to help us achieve equality."

"Temporarily," Martha remarked.

"They said that wearing these bands for a long enough time will teach our bodies to produce proteins that will let our brains develop natural telepathy."

"Doctor, didn't you say the Glets only had psychic residue?"

"Yes, if they were natural telepaths, I would have been able to tell."

"That can't be right," Littinlid said.

"Well, haven't you talked to other Glets who did have those bands?" Martha asked.

"No, there aren't many who have had this opportunity yet." Littinlid paused. "They're dead? The ones that had these bands?"

"I'm afraid so," the Doctor answered. "Are those the only bands?"

"There should be two others."

"Are you able to find them?" Martha asked.

"Yes, but why should they concern me?"

"Because you know that my friend isn't lying about the dead Glets," the Doctor said. "And you're going to have to trust me about them losing their telepathy. Aren't you worried about what will happen to you?"

Martha could tell that Littinlid was not completely convinced. "How about you just take us to the last Glet with your bands? Do you know where that Glet is?"

"Her name is Hesperes."

"How about we just pay her a friendly visit then?" the Doctor offered.

The Doctor and Martha followed Littinlid to Hesperes' home. As he approached the entrance, Littinlid became anxious and banged on the door. After crying her name, Littinlid finally barged in. He saw Hesperes lying on the ground. She was barely conscious and sweating profusely. She was also holding her head as if she was in pain and breathing heavily.

Littinlid kneeled down beside her, trying to help.

"Doctor," Martha began. "Sweating and headaches are common signs of withdrawal in humans. That investigator thought the Glet by the waterfall had seizures and irregular blood flow. Seizures, hypertension, and heart palpitations are symptoms, too. Could something similar be true for Glets?"

"What kind of Doctor are you?" Littinlid asked the Doctor.

"Well, a bit of everything." The Doctor looked at Littinlid's bands. "Tell you what, maybe you should let her borrow the bands and see if that will help."

"You think your friend is correct about withdrawal?"

"This would be an easy way to find out."

Littinlid slowly slipped the bands off his fingers and onto Hesperes'. Almost immediately, Hesperes' breathing quieted down and her other hand relaxed from her head. However, she remained barely conscious and unresponsive.

"She's still not well," Littinlid said. "She needs time and rest." Littinlid picked Hesperes up and laid her down in her bedroom. Then he joined the Doctor and Martha in another room. "Hesperes had the bands for much longer than they said she needed before developing her own powers. I sensed nothing from her and I feel my own telepathy slipping away already."

"And the Teters didn't mention the side effects of losing the bands, did they?" the Doctor mentioned.

"Do you know who had the bands before her?" Martha asked.

"Someone named Milosietch."

"I recognize that name from the state mortician office. We should find the other two with the bands and the previous recipients," the Doctor suggested.

"And then we see the Teters who gave us the bands," Littinlid finished.

The Doctor, Martha, and Littinlid used the TARDIS to reach a Glet named Muric at home. The trio found Muric in a field behind his property. Sensing that his visitors were interested in the bands he wore, Muric fired a shot from his eyes. Littinlid jumped in front of the Doctor and Martha, taking the hit and burning his clothes.

"Is it the bands or Glets in general that make them so jumpy?" Martha asked rhetorically as she dove for cover.

"Stop!" Littinlid cried out to Muric. He was also walking to Muric, but with a calmer demeanor to ease the situation. "We're not here to cause you any trouble. Just read my mind and the woman's mind."

After gaining Muric's trust, the three joined Muric at his home, where Littinlid received a change of clothes. Muric was only able to identify the Glet that had the bands before he did, and the Doctor matched the name to another documented corpse.

"Now, take off the bands," Littinlid told Muric.

"What? Why?"

"Just for a moment. You should have natural abilities now, should you not?"

Muric hesitated. "I think it's time for you three to leave."

"Aren't you the least bit curious?" the Doctor asked.

Muric lit up his eyes as if ready to fire another blast.

Littinlid stood up and addressed the Doctor and Martha. "We have the information we need. We should find the last Glet. We'll leave you alone, Muric, if you can tell me where that Glet is. I am no longer able to do so."

The Doctor used his psychic paper again to enter a public office. With Martha and Littinlid behind him, the Doctor weaved through areas in repair after an explosion caused by electrical difficulties took out a large chunk of the building. The Doctor arrived at the office of Breselin, an administrator in the planetary department of civil rights and liberties, and knocked.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm the Doctor and this is my friend Martha and Littinlid." The trio simply stared at Breselin, allowing her to peer into Littinlid's and Martha's minds and determine the reason for their presence. It was during that probe when Littinlid started feeling lightheaded.

Breselin sighed and looked down.

"You already know, don't you?" the Doctor asked.

"Are you naturally telepathic? I don't see anything in your hands."

"I don't need to be to read your face."

"I took my bands off periodically to test myself," Breselin explained. "I had started to give up."

"What about the last Glet who wore them?" Martha inquired.

"That was Mordrew. He died from illness."

"That didn't bother you?" said the Doctor.

"He was already sick for some time before receiving the bands."

"Do you know who had the bands before him?" Littinlid asked. "I myself and the other Glet didn't know much about who else wore them."

"It was someone name Lukaid."

The Doctor recognized Lukaid's name as the last of the four corpses. He explained about the four dead Glets to Breselin.

Breselin was able to identify another who wore the bands. "His name is Ansplake."

"This department oversees security," Littinlid noted. "Perhaps you can search for that name among records affiliated with state mortician offices."

"I can." Breselin responded as she pulled up a search program.

"There's a reason why you haven't before, isn't there?" the Doctor said.

Breselin declined to respond. "I work closely enough with other welfare departments that I can look at hospital admissions as well."

Soon, Breselin found out that Ansplake had died and his body was examined at a state mortician office. The cause of death was vaguely cited as a vascular issue.

"We need to go see the Elswick Teter Society," Littinlid said. "Do you wish to join us?"

"No, I think that would be a bad idea."

"What will you do with the bands?" Martha asked.

"I'll hold onto them until I know I can be safe being separate from them."

"How many Teters are in that group?" the Doctor asked.

"Maybe 30. I can contact a regional security branch to give you assistance."

"Do you know a local investigator named Ruven?"

"Yes, he recently interviewed for a position in one of our departments. I can ask for him."

Soon, Ruven and eighteen security officers and investigators consisting of Glets, Teters, and a race called Alerons arrived. Feeling ill and being determined to confront the society, Littinlid offered a reason for taking charge. "The Teters there will not know about the knowledge we have collected this day. They will still trust me. I should meet with them first to collect information, perhaps with the Doctor and Martha."

"You no longer possess telepathic powers," a Teter named Wilst pointed out. "A small group of Teters should accompany you three."

Littinlid acquiesced. Soon, he, the Doctor, Martha, and four Teter investigators entered the meeting place of the Elswick Teter Society.

"Littinlid?" a Teter named Pollis called to him. "We were not expecting you yet."

Littinlid kept his hands behind his back. "I bring four Teters who are interested in this group, Pollis."

"And your other companions? They look like Oyrosians, but I can tell they are not."

"They're just curious friends of mine," Littinlid answered as his head started to ache. "Where is Fandoron?"

Pollis did not answer. He simply took a few steps closer to Littinlid. "What's going on?"

Littinlid heard the suspicion in Pollis' voice and knew that he had to act. He shot a low-energy burst at Pollis, knocking him down. "I asked you for Fandoron!"

The four Teters with Littinlid telepathically summoned the other security officers. Their entrance spawned a fight with the sixteen society Teters present. Littinlid paid no attention to the brawl as he took to the stairs in search of Fandoron. The Doctor and Martha followed him. When Littinlid arrived at the second floor, he saw three Teters and promptly knocked them out. One of them managed to shoot Littlinlid, but did no harm.

Littinlid finally arrived at a locked door. He blasted his way in and found Fandoron. "What have you done?" Littinlid yelled.

"Please calm down, Littinlid," Fandoron said, trying to appear calm himself.

"The telepathy is temporary after the bands are gone. The Glets who wore them suffered through withdrawal and died from it directly or from trying to get away from it."

"That wasn't supposed to happen, Littinlid," Fandoron said nervously enough to be doubted.

"Did you think no one would know?" Littinlid's eyes flared, partly out of anger, partly due to stress.

Fandoron sighed and gave up. "We had an informant at the planetary department of civil rights and liberties. Unfortunately, she perished during the explosion. She had been ferrying data from the investigations to us and was going to warn us when someone would notice the pattern."

The Doctor joined the conversation. "And what would you have done _when_ that happened?"

"We were planning on collecting whoever had the bands and leaving the area."

Littinlid suddenly keeled over. "I need help. How do we fight these symptoms?"

Fandoron went over to a shelf and gave Littinlid a set of bands. "Unfortunately, we are still unsure. That was not a priority in our research."

Littinlid put on the bands and took deep breaths.

"What was your goal in this research?" Martha asked.

"Our telepathic powers are limited. We are trying to discover a way to enhance them by using Glets. We targeted the areas of their brain that are similar to ours."

"You're still powerful enough now to plant a hypnotic suggestion into your victims, aren't you? They don't question much," the Doctor stated.

Fandoron did not answer and Martha was still frowning at his previous response. Martha was about to say something but Littinlid collapsed. Martha ran over to him and checked his vitals. "I don't feel or hear any heartbeats or breathing, but should I be looking for something else, Doctor?"

The Doctor kneeled down beside Littinlid and opened his eyes. He took a deep look before closing them. "He's dead. Fandoron must have given him something faulty, perhaps a bad prototype." The Doctor turned to see Fandoron flying away. He and Martha gave chase until they saw energy beams blasting Fandoron onto the ground. They turned and saw that security had defeated the society members.

Some time later, the Doctor, Martha, and Ruven were at the hospital with Hesperes. The Doctor had taken the bands off Hesperes' fingers and given instructions to a team of doctors. Two days later, Hesperes started to stir in bed, and the Doctor decided that it was time to leave.

"Breselin should give you no trouble," the Doctor told Ruven. "Muric might at first, but when he hears that it's safe and what the Teters' intentions were, he might concede and undergo the procedure."

"Thank you Doctor, Martha."

Martha smiled at Ruven as she and the Doctor left. Soon after, Hesperes opened her eyes.

"Hello, how are you feeling?" Ruven asked her.

"I'm tired, but I'm fine. What happened?"

"The Doctor composed an idea for therapy on a specific part of your brain and a gland that produced the proteins found in your system. It seems that his idea was correct. Your doctors think you will recover fully, though a bit slowly."

Hesperes smiled in relief.

The Doctor and Martha reached the TARDIS.

"What kind of planet is this?" Martha asked. "Larodeens kidnap Teters so they can fly again and Teters experiment on Glets so they can have more mental powers."

"It gets better. This empire is still young. These different species cohabitating on the same planets do generate concerns among themselves, but soon, when they see all the diversity around them and become accustomed to it, all the social norms will change. They'll accept each other and better, accept themselves."

"You know this for certain?"

"Oh yeah, I'll be here again in the future."

"Your future or theirs?"

"Both, I hope."

END

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Thanks a lot for reading. If you leave/left a review, thank you for that, too.


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